Catalytic converter



June 3 1941 D B. BANKS 2,244,599 GATALYTIG CONVERTER Filed June 28, 19402 Sheets-Sheet l v I Il .L I r,ln/A14... f.. vw@ I I I l I I I I I 137#I I I I I I I I r I I l l I I I I r I l I I I I I I I I I I I l I I I II I I I I .f II, ,l I 2 35 29 6 29 w af I MW June 3, 1941. D. a BANKSCATALYTIC CONVERTER Filed June 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June3, 1941 great spice CATALYTIC CONVERTER.`

Daniel B. Banks, Drexel Hill, Pa., assigner to Sun Oil Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey 6 Claims.

The present inventionrelates to catalytic converters and particularly tothat type of catalytic converter which is alternately on stream and invtion, and in other common chemical reactions,

the catalyst used, regardless of the type, very often becomescontaminated by the reaction carried on and must therefore beregenerated either by oxidation or by chemical treatment. The reactionduring the on-stream period may, in the case of cracking, be anendothermic reaction, or, as in the case of polymerization, may be anexothermic one. Certain other purely chemical reactions may also beendothermic or exothermic. Likewise, the regeneration operation may beof either type, although most generally it is an eX- othermic reactionsuch as the oxidation of contaminants which are deposited on thecatalyst during the on-stream period.

In view of these conditions, particularly where the on-stream reactionis endothermic and the reaction is carried out at a comparatively lowtemperature, say 30G-460 F., and the regeneration reaction is exothermicand is carried on in the neighborhood of 1000o F., considerable strainsare very often set up in the apparatus due to expansion and contractionwhen changing from the von-stream to the regeneration operation and viceversa. It is therefore necessary to provide converters which are capableof withstanding such strains and at the same time have provision for thecirculation of heat exchange medium for supplying heat during anendothermic reaction or removing heat during an exothermic reaction.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a catalyticconverter which is adapted to be used in cases where extreme temperaturechanges are encountered during the cycle of operations and also onewhich provides for the removal of heat therefrom or the addition of heatthereto during the cycle of reaction.

A further object is to provide a converter which may be readilydisassembled for removal and change of catalyst, or for cleaning thesame.

Other and further objects will appear as the description of theaccompanying drawings progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation oi a catalytic converter;

Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of the upper portion thereof;

Fig, 3 shows a cross section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a sectional View taken through the lower portion of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 5 shows a plan View of the main support for the catalyst.

The converter comprises an outer shell enclosing the upper portionthereof and an inner shell contained within the outer shell andextending therebelow, the entire converter structure being mainlysupported by the inner shell, as hereinafter described. The outer shellconsists of a length of large diameter tubing I, having welded theretoat its upper and lower ends flanges 3 and 4 respectively. The upperportion of the outer casing consists of a dome-shaped member 5, made upof a dished head 5a and a section of casing 5b of the same diameterpreferably as the casing I, the lower end of the upper portion 5 havingwelded thereto a flange 6, flanges 6 and 3 being bolted together andbeing made liquid and gas -tight by means of seal ring 'l held betweenthe flanges. The top of the cover member 5 is provided with a connection8, to which a pressure relief valve or other safety valve may beattached, as well as with an outlet nozzle 9 through which heat exchangemedium ilows from the casing.

'Ihe inner member of the apparatus comprises a length of casing Il),smaller in diameter than the outer casing I, so as to provide an annularspace for the flow of heat exchange medium therebetween. The bottom ofthe inner casing III has welded thereto a flange II, cooperating with ablank I2, the two being bolted together and forming a tight joint bymeans of seal ring I3. 'Ihe upper end of the inner casing IU is ofsmaller diameter than the main body thereof and has welded thereto aflange I4 cooperating with a blank I5, the two being bolted together andforming with seal ring IB a liquid and gas tight joint. Near the upperportion of inner casing Ill there is welded thereto a ring Il whichspaces the inner casing ID from the outer casing I, the ring I'I beingprovided with grooves on its outer face to permit the flow of heatexchange medium.

Casing I0 has welded thereto at the lower part thereof a plate I8 andangles I9 to form a support for the entire apparatus, the plate i8resting on I-beams 2l) and 2|. Immediately above the plate I8 there iswelded to the inner casing I0 a ange 22. Between the ange 22 and theflange 4 on the outer casing there is placed a ring 23 of largerdiameter than the outer casing I, the

ring 23 being provided with a nozzle 24 for the admission of heatexchange fluid. It will be readily understood from the drawings thatwhen the ring 23 is placed between the flanges 4 and 22 and the boltspulled home, a liquid and gas tight joint will beV formed. The spacebetween the ring Z3 and the inner casing l0 forms an annulardistribution lchamber for the heat eX- change medium admitted throughnozzle 24.

The lower blank l2 on the inner casing has welded thereto a tube 25which supports at its upper end a plate 26 having large perforations 21therein, plate 26 being freely movable within the inner casing IU.Resting upon plate 26 is a thinner plate 28 having small perforationstherein. The plates 2B and 28 are further supported by three tubes 29which passY through and are Welded to both plates 2E and28, as well asthe blank l2.

Within the inner casing I there is positioned a multiplicity of ribs 3which are welded along their entire line of contact with the innercasing ID. Since in most cases the inner casing lli would be too smallto permit machine welding of these ribs as one piece, the inner casingH3 H is usually cut in two and re-welded as indicated at 3|, 3|', Fig.3.

To three or more of the ribs Btl there are welded ears 32 havingperforations therein. Slidably mounted within all of the ears except thelowermost, and welded to the latter, are thermocouple casings 33 whichare tightly closed at their upper ends. The thermocouple cases are notall of the same length, but are of such lengths as to give temperatureindications at various positions throughout the catalyst mass. Ihethermocouple -casings 33 are welded only to the lowermost ears 32 asindicated in Fig. l, so that they may expand and contract due to`temperature changes without twisting or bending. The lower ends of thethermocouple wells 38 extend into and slidably lit in tubes 29., whichpartially support plates 2&5 and 28. Into tubes 29 are inserted thesmall diameter tubes t3 which carry the thermocouple wires. These tubesare mounted in couplings 3d which engage the lower ends of tubes 29 andthereby effectively seal the same against egress of gases or liquid.

A small tube 35 extends through blank i 2, tube 25 and plates 26 and 28.ed so as to make an air and gas tight joint where it passes through theblank l2. Its upper end is provided with a coupling 36 which is threadedthereon and welded as indicated in Fig. 4, so that the same may not beturned to unscrew it. Threaded into the upper end of coupling 3% is atube 3l which extends toA near the tcp of the inner casing i9. The topthereof is closed by a plug 38, having a ring thereon an'd is perforatedas at 38 to permitV the passage of :duid therefrom.

The upper portion of the structure is guided or steadied by'a member 453which is sli-dably mounted on a pin 5| supported on structure work 32,so that as casing expands or contracts, due to the temperature changes,the member @El will slide on pin 4|.

In assembling the structure the inner casing is first placed upon theI-beams 2li and 2l and bolted or welded thereto. The ring member 23 isthen slipped over the inner casing I and seated in the groove in flange22. casing is then placed over the inner casing il) and the groove inflange d aligned with the ring member 23, after which the bolts connect-Tube 35 is weld- The outer ing flanges d. and 22 are drawn home. Whenthe outer casing is placed over the inner casing the hole in member 40slips over the pin 4|' and the fiange 4 is seated in the ring member 23.

The next step is to insert the plates 26 and 28, together with the tubes25 and 29 welded thereto, in the lower end of the inner casing Ill,after which the bolts joining flange and plate l2 are'ldrawn home. Thetube 3l may then be lowered into the upper portion of the inner casinglil and screwed home in coupling 36. The catalyst may then be insertedin the inner chamber It through the opening to be closed by the blank i5on the upper end thereof. After the inner casing it is lled with thecatalyst, the blank |`5 is bolted in place and the cover member 5 isalso bolted to flange 3 on the outer casing. The thermocouple wells 33are then placed in position and the couplings 34 screwed home on thelower ends of the tubes 29, after which the case may be .put intooperation to carry out the reactions intended.

It may be that in some cases a single catalytic chamber as shown will beall that is required for the reaction. However, where large quantitiesof fluids are reacted, a number of such cases may 'be placed so that owtherethrough, either of reactants or heat exchange medium, may becarried out either in series or in parallel.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. An apparatus of the class described, comprising an inner catalystchamber and removable upper and lower heads therefor, an outer chamberand a removable upper head therefor, a flange on the lower end of theouter chamber, a fiange on the inner chamber, a ring between said angesclosing the lower end of the outer chamber and forming lbetween theinn-er and outer chambers an annular space, a catalyst support, andmeans carried by the lower head of the inner chamber supporting thecatalyst Ysupport at a level approximately that of the lower end of saidannular space between the two chambers, whereby all portions of theinner catalyst chamber above such catalyst support will be in heatexchange relationship with the annular space between the inner and outerchambers.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising an inner catalystchamber, a support therefor, closure members removably secured to itsupper and lower ends, an outer chamber adapted to be lowered over thecatalyst chamber and spaced therefrom to form an annular space betweenthe two chambers, a flange welded to the lower end of the outer chamber,a flange welded to the inner chamber below and spaced from the otherflange, a ring of larger diameter than said outer chamber and adapted tocooperate with said flanges to form a liquid-tight joint between thetwo, a tubular member welded to the lower closure member for thecatalyst chamber, a catalyst support on the upper end of said tubularmember, a tube for fluid passage extending through said tubular memberand the lower closure member of the catalyst chamber, and a tube withinsaid catalyst chamber communicating with the first named tube andextending to the upper end of said catalyst chamber.

3. A catalytic converter comprising an outer shell, an inner shellspaced from the outer shell and extending below it, closures for bothends of the inner shell, means supporting the inner shell, a support forcatalytic material above the lower of said closures, tubular meanssupporting from the lower closure said support for catalytic material,and means supporting from the inner shell the outer shell, saidsupporting means forming a distribution chamber for a heat exchangemedium communicating with the annular space between the two shells.

4. A catalytic converter comprising an outer shell, an inner shellspaced from the outer shell and extending below it, closures for bothends of the inner shell, means supporting the inner shell, a support forcatalytic material above the lower of said closures, a tube the lowerend of which is welded to the lower of said closures and .the upper endof which is welded to and supports the said support for catalyticmaterial, a tube welded to the lower of said closures and extendingthrough the same, through the rst named tube and through said supportfor catalytic material, a coupling on the upper end of the last namedtube, and a tube extending upward from said coupling and terminatingnear the upper end of the inner shell and there provided withperforations.

5. A catalytic converter comprising an outer shellVan inner shell spacedfrom the outer shell and extending below it, closures for both ends ofthe inner shell, means supporting the inner shell, a support forcatalytic material above the lower of said closures, a tube the lowerend of which is Welded to the lower of said closures and the upper endof which is welded -to and supports the said support for catalyticmaterial, a tube welded to the lower of said closures and extendingthrough the same, through the first n-amed tube and through said supportfor catalytic material, a coupling on the upper end of the last namedtube, a tube extending upward from said coupling and terminating nearthe upper end of the inner shell and there provided with perforations,and means engaging the lower end of and supporting the outer shell andsupported from the inner shell and forming a distribution chamber for aheat exchange mediiun communicating with the annular space between thetwo shells.

6. A catalytic converter comprising an inner shell and supporting meanstherefor, removable heads closing the upper and lower ends of saidshell, a support for catalytic material slidable within the inner shellabove its lower end, means extending longitudinally within the lowerpart of the inner shell andwelded to both the lower removable head andthe support for catalytic material, whereby the latter is supported, atube for fluid passage extending longitudinally within the lower part ofthe inner shell and also through the lower head and said support forcatalytic material and welded to both, another tube for fluid passagewithin the inner chamber -above the support for catalytic material andremovably secured to the first named tube; the lower removable innerhead shell, the means for supporting the catalytic material and theiirst named tube being thereby removable, as a unit from the innershell; an outer shell concentric with and spaced from the inner shell,means supporting the outer shell from the inner shell and closing thelower end of the outer shell, and means removably securing together thetwo shells,

DANIEL B. BANKS.

